Leeds United face an attacking crisis with three key players major doubts for Sunday's Premier League trip to Sunderland. Manager Daniel Farke confirmed Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anton Stach and Noah Okafor all missed training this week after picking up injuries in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United last Saturday.
"First of all, we have to wait and assess a little bit who is actually available for this game," Farke told reporters on Thursday.
Calvert-Lewin, the club's top scorer this season with three goals in seven appearances, suffered a bruised foot from a late tackle. Stach is nursing a painful foot problem, while Okafor is dealing with adductor issues. All three were hurt during the intense derby at Elland Road, where Calvert-Lewin scored the equaliser in the 51st minute.
Their potential absence is a significant blow for a side sitting seventh in the Premier League with 10 points from two wins and four draws and a loss from their seven games. It compounds existing injury problems, with defender Joe Rodon still out with a hamstring injury sustained on 30 August. Winger Dan James also missed the Manchester United squad after returning from international duty with Wales carrying a back issue.
Farke must now consider his options for the visit to the Stadium of Light. The absence of his leading marksman, Calvert-Lewin, is particularly concerning ahead of a fixture against the league's bottom side. Leeds' recent form has been inconsistent, with one win, two draws and two losses in their last five outings, which includes the 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Saturday 18 October, a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal on Saturday 10 October, and a 4-1 victory over Newcastle on Saturday 14 September.
The draw with Manchester United extended a run where Leeds have scored nine goals but conceded six this campaign, leaving them with a goal difference of plus three. They now face a Sunderland team desperate for points, sitting 20th in the table, on Saturday 25 October. Farke's selection headache will force him to look at alternative attacking combinations from within his squad for the Sunday afternoon clash. The team finds itself 11 points behind the league leaders, Manchester City, and will need to improve on their recent sequence of results, which reads draw, loss, draw, win, loss from the last five matches.
More detail at Leeds United.com
